New Remote icon in iTunes may hint at impending iOS 7 update

Although Apple posted a number of iOS 7-flavored app updates this week, there’s still one that I’m anxiously awaiting: the Remote app. I use it every day to control my Apple TV, and it’s very much in need of a UI overhaul.

Fortunately, it looks like I won’t have to wait much longer. A redesigned icon for the Remote app has been discovered in iTunes, suggesting that Apple may be putting the finishing touches on an iOS 7 update for the utility…

First discovered by a 9to5Mac reader, the new icon can be seen in iTunes version 11.1.2 during the process of adding a new remote. To see it for yourself, follow these steps (make sure that you’re on the latest version of iTunes):

Launch iTunes on your computer and the Remote app on your iOS device.

Make sure both are on Wi-Fi, and both have Home Sharing enabled.

In the Remote app, tap on the gear-like Settings icon in the top-right corner.

Select ‘Add an iTunes Library.’

In iTunes, tap the ‘Devices’ tab located to the left of the iTunes Store tab.

And that’s all there is to it. You should see the new Remote icon in the drop-down menu. Note that it is very different from the icon in the iOS app. As with other iOS 7 app updates, it’s flatter now, and has generous white spacing.

Of course, this in no way confirms that Remote is about to get a makeover. But it’s worth noting that last week, new icons for the iOS versions of GarageBand and iPhotopopped up in iCloud just a few days before they were updated.

In addition to Remote, Apple has yet to post iOS 7 updates for its iBooks and Find My Friends apps (am I missing any?). You’d think it would want to release them all at the same time, or at least close to each other, so stay tuned.